Agriculture -- Egypt; Egypt -- Description and travel
*Donkeys*.--Unlike the despised donkey of England, the ass of Egypt is
one of the most useful of animals. It is a hardy, patient
burden-bearer, but very often ill-treated, notwithstanding its good
services. It is employed on the farm for carrying manure in bags slung
across the back, and is largely used for the saddle. A well-bred,
generously treated donkey is often of a goodly size.
*Mules*.--These are employed for carting, raising water, and other farm
work. They are very strong and useful.
*Sheep*.--Egypt is not a pastoral country, and but scant attention is
paid to these animals. They are considered a sort of by-product. When
attention is paid to them, however, they yield excellent profit. The
ram lambs at five months sell at from sixteen to twenty shillings. No
care is bestowed on selection, and breeding from "weedy" rams renders
the stock deficient in quality. The duties of the shepherd are light,
as the flock is always under his eye at pastures. A very good idea of
the Egyptian sheep can be gathered from the illustration.
But the time is rapidly approaching when all this may be changed; for
sheep-farming may be looked upon from its double advantage of their
increasing popularity for food purposes and their value for the
extension of a system of animal manuring, and thus supplying, by feeding
off crops, one of the great wants of the country. To a great extent the
poor class Egyptian has been a vegetarian, but, with the increase of
riches and prosperity in the country, Mr Wallace in his address speaks
of the growing demand for animal food, especially mutton; while he
reminds his listeners that one of the ways in which an Arab honours his
guest is by furnishing his feast with a whole roast lamb.
The Prophet Mohammed, in his sanitary laws to his followers, teaches
them to partake of mutton, in his wisdom and knowledge of its
superiority to the flesh of the ox, which is considered unclean,
pointing to the fact that even in his day cattle were known to be
affected with some form of tuberculosis, which might possibly be eaten
and thus imparted to the unfortunate partaker of the unwholesome food.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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